Brassiere



Feb. 14, 1950 I. SCHENKMAN BRASSIERE Filed June 25, 1947 v Z'mnentor 5 CHENKMAN Gttomeg Patented Feb. 1950 s. PATENT" OFFICE UNITED s'rAT-E This invention relates to brassieres, and, more '1 particularly, aims to provide new and useful improvements in a brassire (whether of the bandeau type or of the fullewaist type or otherwise) of the kind comprising 'a garment to be worn 5 about th body below the arms and including pouches for receiving and liftin'gthe breasts or members of the bust, such garment also having a pair of adjustable shoulder straps each connected at its opposite ends to front and back points on the garment.

In connection withia brassiere, andone made, as is necessary and as heretofore has been the practice, of soft pliable material particularly at and adjacent the bust pouches, and so made of i5 a material with inadequate form holding stiff-F ness, an object is to provide a means for overcoming the defect justjme'ntioned and at .the same time for supporting-the bust in a more comfortable'and satisfactory way than was osgo sible in previous garmentsin'tended for'the pur-"' V pose.

In attaining this object, a feature of the invention is the provision, in combination with the usual or any outer section of soft pliable mate rial, of an inner one-piece auxiliary fabric wall or section for each breast or bust member. Each of these auxiliary sections, which are preferably stitched together or otherwise made unitary with each other, are so constituted that it performs a, 3 novel and valuable plurality of functions.

The lower part of each of said inner auxiliary sections, by virtue of the fact that such section is attached at its lower part to the remainder of the garment in a particularway and by special 5 The upper end of each auxiliary section, which section is wholly of inelastic material, is con-- nected above the top of its said collaring or sling means for the bust membenby a relatively short non-elastic tape, or the like with jan'u'pper point on the main or. outer ection o p o h 2,497,324 BRASSIERE Irving Schenkma'n, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application June 23, 1947, Serial No. 756,351 2 Claims. (o1. 2-42) garment above the pouch of the latter which rea-seamed dart which, it has been found, is less tating the sensitive parts of the bust; but at the vidin s -soft dd tion Ito theunder surceives'and lifts said bust member. J Thereby, the upper portion-of each inner auxiliary section is so connected to the main garment that, although said collaring or sling means lies against the body close under a pouch surrounding portion of the outer section of the garment, there may be when needed some relative movement between the collaring or sling means and the associated pouch, thus increasing to a marked degree freedom from occasional physical discomfort and strain. Moreover, the combination of new parts so far described acts as an anti-bust-sagging means strikingly superior to any prior proposal of which applicant is aware, including even special wiring.

Another object of the invention, and one particularly making for prevention of bust discomfort, has to do with an improved method of darting the piece of material from which each pouch is out.

In order to obtain the required shape for the pouch, it has heretofore been the custom, as is well known, to cut out a portion of said piece of material; such cut-out being a V-shaped one with the apex of the V directed toward but located some distance from what is to be the center of rotundity of the pouch. Said cut-out has not only had the apex of the V thus spaced away from said pouch center, but, also, the cut-out has been so placed that when the garment is completed and worn the seam resulting from stitching together the edges of the cut-out is obliquely inclined to the vertical. These precautions have previously been thought necessary to avoid irricost of not obtaining an ideally shaped pouch.

According to the present invention, the dart used at the pouch is extended vertically upward to above what will be the true center of rotundity of the pouch, giving the ideal pouch shape, yet

irritating than the previous seamed dart, because, in stitching together the edges of the new cutout, a part of the concept of the invention in this regard is to use a particular, and an especially soft, seam. This special seam may be described as a darted seam stitched as a French seam v Still another feature of the inventionhas to do with the shoulder *straps, which, as previously made, have had afrequent tendency to chafe the tops of the shoulders; the present invention profaces of those parts of the shoulder straps which lie on the shoulder tops.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawing and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 shows a brassiere pursuant to the invention, spread out, looking toward the inner side of the garment.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, but looking outer side of the garment.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view, looking toward the inner side of the garment in'the region of the bust member serving structure .seen at the right in Fig. 1,with the inner auxiliary .bust 'member-collaring and sling section shown pulledinwardly awayfrom-the main outer sec- .tion of the garment, and with the associated shoulder strap omitted, to make clear features of construction not so clearly shown in the other views.

Fig. 4 is a detail view, being a section taken on the line 4- -4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a similar view, being a section taken "on the line 5- -5 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the brassiere comprises an outer section ID of relatively soft fabricor other equallypliable material provided with two:bust member receiving pouches ll of a similarly soft and pliable fabric.

As here shown, said outer section is formed of two intermediate-like soft and pliable fabric pieces l2, l2, each providing one of the two pouches 'H, and two lik'e soft'and pliable end fabric.;pieces |4, l4. At their meeting edges the. 'ifitermediate'fabric' pieces |2 are suitably stitched together tojoin themas indicated at l5 in Fig. 2, "andthe meeting edges of each piece l2 and the adjoin'ingendpiece I4 are stitched together to fjoin'themjas' indicated at "I6, l6 in Fig. 2.

.adjacentfpieces l2 and 14 along the vertical Iseams |6,"th'ere are substantially vertically extended'tapes "IT. The vertically extending side 'edges'or the'tapes are secured to theadjacent pieces l'2an'd by lines of'stitches f8. Similar- 1y, .a tape'le 'is placed asshown "in'Fig. 1, and this tape is also se'cjured to the two pieces M by two lines of stitching 2|l,"2l3.

Thetape "l9,"wh'ile shorter than the tapes is,it win be noted, wider than the'latter.

"Thesetapes l! and H1 not only finishthree seamsat the'inn'er' side'of the outer section It, but, in combination with the inner auxiliary sec- '20"and others of the special stitchin'g's aforesaid, and with the downwardly converging inclinations of the tapes 11, provide the garment'stiffening mean'sof the invention.

In this 5 connection it-is pointed out that the major lower lengths ofthe'stitchings l8 seen-in 'Fig'. 1 go no't only through the tapes l1 and the '--adj acentipieces 2 and 4 of "the outersection 0 butalso through. the adjacent'inner sections 2|,

along lower straight sides of the latter where ex- 7 --tended;i 1nder the tapes Similarly, the stitch- --ings .20 in their :entiretyigo also through the two inner .sectionsZI along the .lower straight sides of the latter'where extended under the tape H.

are the stitchings "22, arranged "as shown, the I toward the Extended over the 'inwardly'bent edges of the icons-21,21, and with'theta'pe .stitchin'gs l8 and 60 The strap 28 is a narrow tape formedby longi- Referrlrig now to saidgspeclal stitchings, these upper several of which are extended along lines of substantially ,W-extension. The stitchings 22 go through the inner sections 2|, the pieces |2 of the outer section, and the tapes l1 and l9; and some of the lower stitchings 22 go also through an edging tape 23 extending all along the bottom of the garment between the outer ends of the pieces l4.

, Below the uppermost stitching 22, therefore, the'bo'ttom parts of the irmersections 2| are in effect quilted to the outer section l0; such quilting and consequent stiffening, relative to the garment at each piece I2 of the outer section, being at "its top middle, this the lowermost portion across itstop; is so placed that it establishes the bottom rotundity of the adjacent pouch II, and -'at the-same timefollows the bottom rotundity of the bust member collaring and sling opening 24 in the adjacent inner section 2 I.

Each section 2 I further. is locked to the outer section "l0, up'to j'tlief top .6f"the.ltap.e l9, .and up to'a corresponding.height'onfeach'tape H, as already'explained. bythe lower major lengths of the 'stitchings 8 and by tlie'stitchings 20.

Thus theupper part of'each inner section 2| is entirely'free from the outer section III, as shown best in "Fig.3,an'd is partially free from theouter sectionbetween the uppermost stitching 22"and'a higher point marked at one side by the "top of tape "l9 and 'at'the opposite side of said inner section 2| byrthe upper limit of the portions ofthe'stltchin'gsjl8'whichigo through said inner section.

Atitsto'p each opening '24 is'completed'by overlapping andstitching'together"the free ends of two horn-like "extensions '25 from and integral with the lower main portion of the inner. section 2|; thereby'to"ma'ke'itfpossibleto arrange the *material'offsaid section "21 marginal to the openin'g so; that "this marginafmaterial' may set itself 'wh'enthe' garment is worn to" present a rearwardly facing shallow. cup throughout of non-stretchable-material.

Joining the i'tofp of "eachinn'er section 2| and "th'ehighfpoint' of "each opposite piece |'2 of the outer section '10, an'di'stitched "at its opposite ends to these points'isa relatively short length of nonelastictape 26.

Connecting eac'h tapefZii; by "meansof a t- '50 able"buckle"2.1 through "which said tape slidably extends,'"ls"a-shoulderstrap 28 passing at one end through said buckle for" length adjustment of the strap,and stitche'd'at'its other en'd'to a point near 'theouter end-of 'that' one'of' the pieces M of the "outer section ,fllwhichis directly alongside the piece -l2 *withwhich said-"strap is associated.

The seamed dart forjeach'pouchi I is indicated at'29, 'made'imafiparticular way pursuant to the 'fnventionfias-willlater beexplained.

tudi any plurally folding a strip of light material tog'iv' itfinished edges and-longitudinallystitching' th'e stri-p at afl. in acccrda'ncewith :practice familiar in the'tart. To avoi'd chafing by the 0'5 marrow -shoulderstraps atrzthe top .of the shoul- -:ders there :isstitched tc eachstrap aimember 3.! of soft Ycushionyt-material,aas plush; .this member being slightly wider than the strap and extended over .a suitable length of.-.the :str-ap at the surface i0 thereof which will. beeits bottom. surface when the strap .is-arranged-over a shoulder of the wearer. dflthe brassiere.

The left hand end of itheileft hand piece M in ig. .1 "is edgeifiriis'hedfhy th8itape132; held in .place cated. This tape continues along the top of said piece [4, then along the tops of both pieces l2 of the outer section 19, and then along the top of the other piece l4. The third edge finishing tape for the outer section In is the tape 33.

Suitably anchored in place at the end of the garment to which the tape 33 is applied are a pair of hooks 34, for selective engagement with either the pair of eyes 35 or the pair of eyes 36, these eyes carried at the opposite end of the garment; one pair of eyes at the joinder line of a terminal piece 31 and an elastic insert 38 between said piece 3'! and the adjacent piece I4 of the outer section III, and the other pair on the piece 31, which latter has stitched thereto an edge finishing tape 38.

An edge decorative ruching 39, of net, is shown as extended all along the top of the outer section ill; in which connection Fig. 5 should be noted. The front of the outer section I9 may be variously decorated; for instance, lengths of fairly wide lace 40 may be added by stitchings 4! as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3.

Referring to the darted seam 29 for a pouch ll, Fig. 4 should now be examined in connection with Figs. 1 and 3. As already stated, the V- shaped cut-out in each piece [2 is extended vertically upward to above what will be the true center of rotundity of the pouch; but at the same time stitchings are applied to marginal portions of the dart cut-out to provide a special seam stitched as a French seam. First said marginal portions are stitched together as shown at 42 in Fig. 4, and next the stitching 43 is applied as shown in said view; this last being the only exposed stitching. Note the stitching 43 in Figs. 1 and 3, on the inner face outer section II] of the garment. Neither of the stitchings 42 and 43 is seen in Fig. 2, but this view indicates at 44 that the finally provided darted seam 29 extends upward from the bottom of a piece l2 to a rather high point along the height of its pouch ll.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a brassire having a bust receiving pouch enclosing an inner auxiliary sling section with a shoulder strap having its front end terminating at a point above the pouch, parallel lines of downwardly arched stitches securin the bottom edge Portion of the sling section to the bottom edge portion of the pouch, a buckle mounted on the free front end of the shoulder strap, and a tape having its ends secured to the adjacent top edge portions of the pouch and sling section, said tape having its intermediate portion slidably extended through said buckle.

2. In a brassiere having a bust receiving pouch enclosing an inner auxiliary sling section with a shoulder strap having its front end terminating at a point above the pouch, parallel lines of downwardly arched stitches securing the bottom edge portion of the sling section to the bottom edge portion of the pouch, a buckle mounted on the free front end of the shoulder strap, and a tape having its ends secured to the adjacent top edge portions of the pouch and sling section, said tape having its intermediate portion slidably extended through said buckle, said tape being formed of non-elastic material.

IRVING SCHENKMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,132,616 Hardie Oct. 11, 1938 2,175,676 Walters Oct. 10, 1939 2,267,595 McKeefrey Dec. 23, 1941 2,386,631 Witkower Oct. 9, 1945 2,400,499 Gerace May 21, 1946 

